Christie expected to lobby for Sandy aid in Washington this week

Dec. 4, 2012

Written by

MALIA RULON HERMAN

Gannett Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON — Gov. Chris Christie is expected to head to Washington Thursday to lobby key White House and congressional officials for money to help his state recover from Superstorm Sandy.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo made his first official trip to the nationís capital on Monday to meet with officials over the federal aid that his state is seeking.

Cuomo has said New York needs $42 billion. Christie has estimated his state will need almost $37 billion.

The requests come a month after the storm pummeled the Jersey Shore and New York, leaving transportation systems in ruin, millions of residents without power and thousands homeless.

The White House is expected to release its request for disaster funding to Congress this week, just as negotiations are heating up between the Obama administration and members of Congress about how to avoid the fiscal cliff of spending cuts and tax increases set to hit Jan. 1.

Cuomo said during a news conference in Washington Monday that he had spoken with the governor by phone earlier in the day and that Christie planned to head to Washington on Thursday.